Mind Tricks
by Alice1257
Summary: Victoria kidnapps Esme and Bella after the battle. In the process Esme dies and Bella is changed. As she comes to terms with what happened  and her newfound powers  she develops feelings for Carlisle-the man who stood by her in her time of need. CxB!
1. Chapter 1

**HEY! I wanted to try another Carlisle/Bella story…so here you go! Please review! If you completely hate it…review and tell me why! **

_Flashback_

_The battle was going well. It was easy. Too easy. Victory was in our grasp. All the newborns were dead, except for the one girl that surrendered. Victoria had escaped once more, her lover Riley along with her._

_Or so we believed. No one had thought that they would come back, but they did._

_Riley ran up to Esme, grabbed her around the middle, and took off. It happened so quickly that even my vampires had to take a few moments to register what had happened._

_I broke away from Edward and ran in the direction that I saw them go._

"_Esme!" I screamed, legs pumping, heart racing. "ESME!"_

Let this be a dream._ I thought. _Not Esme. Not sweet, caring, loving Esme.

_Suddenly I felt arms around my waist. I looked up into the face of Victoria. I wasn't afraid though._

"_Let her go," I pleaded. "Let her go, take me instead." _

_Victoria smiled and didn't answer me. She carried me, running at impossible speeds. I knew in my heart that she was running faster than even Edward. She ran over to a cliff and jumped into the ocean. The air knocked out of me and just as I thought I was dead she surfaced._

_We seemed to be in a cave. The ones where you swim down go through a hidden door or rock, then surface underground. It was actually quite cozy._

"_Esme!" I exclaimed running over to her, Victoria letting me. Esme embraced me tightly._

"_Bella, my sweet Bella." She whispered into my ear._

"_How touching" Victoria simpered innocently. "Now before I kill you, you are going to do something for me." She ran up to me and quickly broke my leg. I screamed out in utter agony. "And don't believe for a second that I won't kill you because I will. Understand?" I broke through the pain and nodded._

"_Bella" Esme said. "Look at me" I did so, my movements masked with pain. She bent her head and whispered into my ear. "I love you daughter. Remember that"_

_Then my world went black. I drifted on the edge of consciousness, in and out of time. It could have been days, months, years even, as we waited for the impossible, waited for them to find us._

_I remember clearly the moment when Riley and the other vampire disposed of Esme. For some reason Victoria let me say goodbye._

"_Esme?" I asked, wanting to throw my arms around her and hold on forever. I was hesitant though, it had been a long time since she hunted-you could see it in her pitch black eyes. I didn't want to cause her any unnecessary pain._

"_Come here daughter" She said softly, motioning for me to come to her. I ran over to her, ignoring my disfigured leg, and our arms surrounded each other. I started to weep into her shirt and she started rocking me gently. She was the one about to die and she was comforting _me.

_ "I love you Esme" I sobbed._

"_I love you too Daughter" She replied. "Listen closely now alright?" She gave me messages to each of her family members. I repeated them back to her, hell-bent on memorizing them word for word. We didn't say that it was unlikely that I would get out, we had to hold onto the one piece of hope that it would still work out._

"_How touching" Victoria simpered once more. "I should probably tell you Isabella, that you will be joining her. You see, your family has found this cave and are coming to rescue the two of you" I nodded and snuggled in closer to Esme's chest and Esme started weeping along with me._

_Then they began._

_The pain. That's all I could register._

How is it possible?_ I asked myself. _For one person to feel so much pain?

_Then everything went black._

_Then everything burned._

_End Flashback_

I lay still as stone. I knew I had it in my power to move, to breathe, to see. I didn't want that power. So I stayed still.

In my head I replayed the past years of my life down there in the cave. It was crystal clear. I remembered every breath, every broken bone, every lick of fire with such clarity that I hurt even now.

Against my closed eyelids I was back in the cave. Esme's arms were around me and mine around her.

"I love you" She whispered again in my ear.

"I love you too, Mama" I answered her, tears pouring down my face and landing on her shirt.

Someone squeezed my hand. I didn't move. That someone squeezed again. I didn't move.

"Bella?" Edward asked quietly. "Open your eyes, love," I still didn't respond. "Jasper is she…"

"She's there," came Jasper's voice.

"Then why isn't she moving?" Edward asked, impatient as ever.

"Don't forget Edward," Rosalie spoke quietly. "We don't know what happened in that cave." Edward sighed in response, the air brushing against my cheek. "We don't know what horrors they had to go through. She'll need time, Edward, lots and lots of time." Edward squeezed my hand again.

I didn't move. Instead I focused on the texture of his hand. It was soft, hesitant, almost like he was still trying not to break me. At that moment I hated Edward with such a passion that it had even Jasper hiss under his breath. All I wanted was someone to hold me, not with feather-like touches, but with strength. Something to keep me locked to the earth.

Someone moved closer to the bed, pushing Edward aside as he did so. A new hand held mine now with the firmness that I needed.

"Bella" Carlisle spoke softly yet firmly. "Open your eyes" It was not a request, but a demand.

Slowly I sat up, opened my eyes, and started to breathe. I stared into his eyes, not speaking. As if reading my mind, he wrapped his arms around me in a not so gentle embrace. With slow movements I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned into his strong arms. Then I began to dry sob against his shoulder. He didn't say anything, he just held me tighter.

I clenched my jaw tight, trying to hold in the screams that threatened to erupt out of my body.

"Hey," Carlisle cooed. "Don't. Don't fight it baby girl, let it all out." And I did. All the pain and sorrow that built up in that cave came soaring out in the form of a voluminous scream that echoed around the room. His shoulder muffled the sound just a tad, I could feel the motion as Edward, Alice, and Rosalie winced.

"WHY?" I screamed. "WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HER?" I pulled away from Carlisle and leaned over the bed, my stomach heaving as it tried to expel something that wasn't even there.

"I don't know sweetheart," Carlisle asked, pulling me back to him, so I was straddling his lap. He had his hands on my waist and he held me to him with most of his strength. "I don't know." I placed my head in the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around his neck, clutching him to me.

I was acutely aware of all the others still in the room, and I was just contemplating removing them forcefully when Jasper spoke,

"Come on, let's give them some space." I felt everyone start to make their way to the door-everyone except, "Edward," Jasper warned.

"I'll stay," Edward spoke in that condescending tone that made everyone around him feel inferior. I straightened and peered behind me, I let out a loud hiss,

"Get the fuck out!" I snarled. Edward glared at me,

"Language Bella," he spoke down to me as if I was a child, "Really, talk like a lady."

"Edward," Carlisle growled, "I really don't have the patience. Leave. Before you regret staying." Edward rolled his eyes,

"I'm staying." He stated crossing his arms like a child.

"Get. Out. Now." I hissed, seeing red spots. Jasper glanced over my shoulder at Carlisle who then tightened his grasp on my waist. Edward stared into my eyes and I maintained the growl deep within my chest. "Edward!" I warned, "This is the last time. Get out before I make you." Edward rolled his eyes,

"Bella, remember who you belong to." He held out his hand as if he expected me to take it and leave with him.

I looked at his outstretched hand and tilted my head to the side, as if I was trying to understand what it was. With a small smile on my face I watched as the hand forcibly moved back to its original position at the side of Edward's body.

I glanced up at Edward's face and started laughing. His mouth was hanging wide open and his eyes had an accusatory look to them.

_Edward._ He looked wildly around the room, searching for the source of the voice. _Over here_. Edward minutely turned his head so he was looking me in the eye. _You aren't the only one with mind tricks anymore_. I winked at him and tapped my temple. I raised my eye brows and watched in satisfaction as he turned on his heal and ran out of the room.

I glanced over to Jasper and winked at his stunned expression. I then smiled in appreciation as he walked out of the room.

Without a moment's hesitation, I turned back to Carlisle and his shocked expression and buried my head in the crook of his neck as the sobs returned to my body at full force.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N~ Hey ya'll! Just wanted to give you this short chapter! Hope you like it and I plan on updating shortly! Review (even if you hated it! Tell me WHY you disliked it and such)**

**FYI~ The words in **_**italic**_** are people's **_**thoughts**_** or **_**memories.**_** It could be a little confusing, so just read it a little slower! **

**I sadly do not own Twilight! SM does! **

"Are you thirsty?" Carlisle asked. I shook my head and snuggled closer to him. "I think you're lying, beautiful girl."

"I don't want to get up," I told him softly.

"Why don't we just walk downstairs?" He suggested, "We don't have to go hunting just yet, let's just get out of this room." at the mention of the room that we were in I took the first look at our surroundings.

It was a plain room to say the least. The walls where an off white and bare, not one picture adorned the space. The bed that the two of us were sharing was a dark mahogany four poster with solid blue sheets and comforter. On either side of the bed were two tables with lamps resting atop the wood surface.

I turned my head to the left side of the room and stared at two double doors. I turned my head to the side and, just like Edward's arm, the door handles slowly turned and the doors creaked open. Inside was a walk in closet that was surprisingly empty. There was a row of about eight long sleeved shirts and seven pairs of dress pants. Next to the pants however were the infamous scarves that Carlisle always wore.

"I do my own shopping," Carlisle explained when I asked him about his lack of designer clothes. "I never saw the point of wearing clothes once, then throwing them away. Out of all the inhabitants in this household, I am the only one that uses the washer and dryer." I nodded in understanding. On the opposite side of the room was a single door that, when opened, revealed a master bathroom with a soak tub in the far left corner and a walk in shower in the far right side.

"Sweet," I whistled.

"Come on," Carlisle whispered, pulling me to my feet. Unintentionally I whimpered at the loss of contact, to which my mind started reeling. _Why did that happen?_ I did not get to answer my mental question because Carlisle took that moment wrap his arm around my shoulder. I reciprocated by wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him to me tightly. There was the ghost of a smile on his flawless face before it disappeared like the wind. Together we left the room and walked down the hall and stairs at a human pace, and even for humans it would have been slow.

When we reached the main floor I unconsciously tensed at the sight of my family of vampires all in one room. My eyes instantly traveled over to Jasper and I drew in a quick breath. Back in the room I did not take the time of day to really _see_ Jasper. Almost every surface of his marble hard skin was covered in crescent-shaped scars, several of them overlapping. He looked exactly like… _Danger!_ My mind screamed at me, interrupting my thought. _Run!_ I felt the panic smother me and my breath was coming out in short gasps. I squeezed my eyes shut as images were thrust at me.

_I pressed my horse harder. Just in the distance I could see the outline of a small cabin. "Home," I whispered into the setting sun. The word felt foreign on my tongue. Again I kicked my horse harder, impatient to arrive._

_Finally. On the porch was the small stature of a woman, her eyes close and her head tipped back to let the last whispers of warmth to brush against her face. She had long, silky looking, raven black hair that went down to the middle of her back and was wearing a hand sewn blue work dress with an apron over the top._

_At the sound of my approach, the woman opened her eyes. Even from this distance I could see the shockingly bright blue eyes peering down the gravel road in my direction. She tilted her head to the side, as if trying to make out who I was. When I was but fifteen feet away her hand flew to her mouth and she visibly paled._

_I pulled Lightning up short and before he was even at a complete stop I was flying through the air. I landed on the balls of my sturdy boots and ran in her direction._

"_Eliza!" I yelled, heart racing. And, just like I dreamed of doing for the past eighteen months, I pulled her into my arms. My touch seemed to have awoken something in her, for she brought her hand away from her mouth and wrapped her arms around my broad shoulders. I felt her start to sob against my shoulder and I held just held her tighter. After a few minutes I pulled away and began kissing every inch of her face I could find: her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, her forehead, her temples, her ears, her chin, and finally, her perfect lips. They felt just as I remembered them; soft with the barest hint of a taste of berries. "I've missed you so much," I whispered against her lips. "So much!"_

"_You have been sorely missed, husband." She told me, her voice cracking. We stood there in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity. She pushed against my shoulder, and I regretfully released her, my arms feeling empty once more. "I have the best of news!" she told me, the widest of smiles on her face. She stepped to the side and I saw her._

"_You have a daughter, Jasper."_

I was pulled out of the memory so suddenly that my knees buckled, to which Carlisle instantly caught me.

"Sweet Jesus," I whispered, clutching to Carlisle's arm as if it was my lifeline.

_Bella!_ Jasper screamed the sound of his voice deafening. I clutched my head in agony and my eyes watered. _Oh God, what happened? Is she alright? Is she hurt?_

_Bella!_ Alice cried out, sounding surprised for once.

_Bells?_ Emmett thundered my head pounding.

_Carlisle! Get your hands off MY girl! _Edward growled. This comment had me momentarily stumped…why did Edward choose that moment to yell at Carlisle?

"Jasper," I whispered, holding out my hand. Before blurring over to me, he looked past my shoulder to Carlisle, as if in permission. In response to Jasper's plea, Carlisle face darkened, his body tensed, and he tightened his hold on my waist. He nodded and Jasper walked at a hurried human pace to my side.

_What happened? Is she alright?_

"I'm good," I assured him. "Don't worry Jasper, I am alright." Jasper gave me a puzzled look but the face rapidly flickered into nothing as soon as it graced his face. I held out a hand and Jasper took it and helped me to my feet. Behind me, I heard the faintest murmur of a growl coming from Carlisle. I reclaimed my hand from Carlisle's grasp and brought it up to my ear, to which I hit it multiple times as if I was trying to get water out from my ear.

_What the hell is she doing? _Rosalie asked, no doubt questioning my sanity.

"I'm just…." I began, and then I froze.

_Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine._ A voice whispered…from directly behind me. I turned my head to the side and, with wide eyes, looked into a pair of deep gold ones that were staring straight back at me. _Bella, Bella, Bella. Mine, Mine, Mine. Man…touching…MY Bella. Not good. Mine. Not good. Beautiful eyes. Mine. _

Our eyes seemed to be locked together, neither one of us willing to look away. My hand tightened around Jasper's hand which did not go unnoticed by Carlisle.

_Not right. Man…touching...mine…touching…touching…touching. No. Mine. Touching._

If it was a different situation I would have laughed. But in this present situation, I was terrified. What was happening? _Am I crazy?_

_Mine. Scared. Mine. Why. Mine. Protect. Comfort. Provide. Thirsty. Mine._ It was like a continuous thrum of words. Not actual sentences, just individual words that jumbled together in one continuous line.

_I'm reading their thoughts._ I realized. It was like someone had reached out and slapped me…with a sledgehammer. _I am a mind reader, a telekinetic, and I saw Jasper's past._ I thought in horror. _What am I? _My mind racked my brain, trying to find a reasonable solution to having all these mind powers.

Then an idea popped into my head. Didn't Esme, I winced and my throat tightened at her name, mention about her extended family in Alaska? Didn't she mention how the coven leader, Eliza or something like that had a power that let him/her identify other vampires' powers? _He could help me_. I thought to myself. I just needed to get away…

I noticed that Alice's eyes had clouded over, so I changed my mind by deciding to step forward to be closer to Carlisle. I did so and had the satisfaction of watching Alice's face twist into the essence of confusion. I looked over at her and met her eyes. I winked,

_No telling where I am going!_ I simpered in my head. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to shout out a warning.

"Jas—" she never finished her sentence. Her mouth was moving, but no sound crossed her lips. For one brief moment she looked like she was caught in a fish bowl, then her eyes flickered to Edward and the same thing happened.

_Ed—! Hadfajksdflkj ajdslkfj aslkdjf sdfkjao! Rudja!_ Edward tilted his head in confusion as he tried to puzzle out what Alice was trying to tell him.

With everyone's focus on Alice, it was the perfect moment. My eyes flickered to Carlisle's, and then I was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N HERE YOU GO! Another chapter! Whoooot! Please review!**

**Sm OwNs AlL! i JuSt ScReW wItH iT!**

I heard a mighty roar behind me as Carlisle realized that I was fleeing.

"Carlisle!" Alice and Emmett called out in alarm. "No!" He roared once more and I heard a crash as something-or someone-crashed through a wall.

"Emmett!' Rosalie shrieked. "Are you alright?"

"Yea…" he huffed. "Jeez! I forget how strong Carlisle really is sometimes!"

"You don't have any idea how strong he is," Jasper muttered. From the sound of his footsteps I figured that he was circling Carlisle. "For vampires we grow stronger with age…Carlisle is nearly four-hundred years old. You honestly cannot fathom how strong he really is."

"Carlisle," Jasper turned his attention to the vampire. He spoke in a ductile tone and even as I was sprinting away, I could feel the waves of emotion Jasper was pushing at him. "Carlisle you need to relax." A steady growl was erupting out of Carlisle's chest as Jasper spoke.

_Mine. Scared. Mine. Running. Mine. Find. Follow Scent. Mine._ Carlisle's thoughts screamed out to me. My heart broke as I heard this and instantly I had an unquenchable need to go back to him. I fought hard with myself as my heart seemed to be pulling backwards as my body continued on.

I winced as another object was thrown through a window. "Rosie!" Emmett called out in concern. "Jesus! He's…"

"Out of control." Jasper finished for him.

"We need to get Bella back here—_now_." Rosalie shouted. At the mention of my name Carlisle's growls faltered.

"Rose!" Alice shrieked, "Say that again!"

"We need to get Bella back?" She repeated, confusion laced in every syllable. Once again Carlisle quieted.

"Carlisle…" Jasper began soothingly. "Do you want me to go get Bella?"

"Bella," Carlisle choked out, pain etched in his voice. _Bella Bella Bella Bella._

"Yes," Jasper told him gently. "Bella."

"Bella," Carlisle groaned out. In that one word, my name, I heard all the grief and loss of the world. There was the sound of rustling clothing, and then a dull thud as Carlisle collapsed onto the floor.

Through Rosalie's eyes I caught a glimpse of Carlisle. He was sitting in the middle of the living room floor, his head in his hands and his legs crumpled beneath him.

"Bella," he moaned out again. The sound of his voice, the utter helpless tone to it, made my knees buckle midstride and I fell headfirst into the ground. _Bella._

"Don't worry Daddy," Rosalie told him softly. "Jazz is going to bring her back."

A twig snapped behind me and I instantly jumped up, snarling at whatever was approaching me. I was half bent over at the waist, a defensive posture I quickly realized. My mind recognized it was Jasper within the second, yet I did not back down.

Jasper neither challenged me by leaning forward and hissing nor accepted my claim by backing down. He stood straight, his nostrils flared, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his eyes calculating. Alarm bells flashed in my head once more at this casual display of both power and dominance.

_Look at her_. He thought. _Such control. She truly was meant to be one of us._ The corners of my mouth twitched at this.

"Bella," Jasper began. "I know this is all confusing for you. But running isn't the answer." I looked around the forest as he talked, planning my escape route. "Bella!" my eyes snapped over to Jasper. "Stay here. Stay with us." I felt a wave of calm pass over me.

I took a step backwards and he matched it with a slight advance forward. _She was always so stubborn._ I took another step backwards and he came forward yet again. I felt something in the back of my mind prick up and my breathing grew more labored. It was as if the forest was closing in on me. I had to get out—now.

I ran to the side only to have Jasper appear in my path. I swerved to the left-yet again he blocked my escape. "Bella," he called soothingly, waves of calm being thrown upon me. For some reason they just bounced off of me. Sure I could feel them—it was as if they affected me for all of a second, then just disappeared. "Bella!" I ignored him and tried yet again to flee.

"Let me go Jasper." I muttered as he stopped me for the third time. Then something happened that I did not expect. Jasper, instead of stopping me on the fourth attempt, froze in his path. _Bella…don't leave me._ His thoughts screamed out to me.

I debated for a fraction of a second, and then turned around. Just as I did so a crash echoed around the silent forest as Jasper hit his knees. I gazed at him in amazement. Never before had I seen him look so…vulnerable. He was always so calm, so collectable, that it was almost eerie to see him like this.

"Jasper?" I called back, taking a step towards him. I noticed then that his shoulders were shaking and his head was bowed. I dipped into his head and heard nothing except two names: _Esme…Bella…Esme…Bella…Bella…Bella…Esme…_

"Jasper," I sighed out. I ran over to him without a moment's thought. When I was but an inch away from him I hesitantly brought my hand up and brushed it through his blonde locks, so similar to the ones I had in my youth.

I felt a tingling sensation at my scalp. First it was as if someone had dumped hot water on top of me. Not a second later and it was as if the water had turned to ice. The strange mixture of hot and cold crept around my head, down the back of my spine, traveled the curve of my spine and came to rest at my waist. I angled my head to the side and grinned as my blonde hair came tumbling down my chest.

Jasper reached forward and pulled me to him, burying his head in my stomach. I kept the soothing motions of running my fingers through his locks. "I thought I lost you," he mumbled, his told tightening.

"Hey…" I cooed. "I'm right here." I slowly lowered myself onto the ground beside him.

"I almost lost you." He muttered again. "We were so close to being too late. We all doubted that you would make it through the change. Your injuries seemed to be too great for there even to be a possibility of survival." I bent my head and rested it upon his shoulder, his arm coming up to wrap around my waist. _I almost lost her. I almost lost her._

"Jazz," I whispered. "I am here." He continued as if he didn't hear me,

"I was so devastated. And we lost Esme…" sobs shook his body and I scooted closer to him, trying to provide comfort. "…Oh God…We lost Esme."

"Jazz…do you want me to tell you what she told me to tell you?" I whispered. He quieted momentarily.

"She told you to tell me something?" He croaked. I nodded. "Please…what did she say?" Acting almost on instinct, I reached my hand up and placed it on his cheek. I felt a tiny spark as our skin connected and thought extremely hard, pulling the memory to the forefront of my mind.

_We were back in the cave. Esme's arms were around me and I was listening intently as she spoke._

"_Jasper," She sighed. "How much I love that man. Out of all my sons…he was my favorite." I gave her a look, "I know. Everyone thought it was Edward…but in actuality it was Jasper. There was just something about him, perhaps it was how quiet he was, or how the little things that he did spoke volumes." I smiled up at her._

"_Like what?" A faint smile crossed her lips._

"_Remember how I used to garden?" I nodded, picturing her beautiful flowers blossoming in the back yard. "I always did it at a human pace; it was one of the things that calmed me most. I think he understood that, because whenever I would go out for the day and garden, he would follow me out with an old quilt and a book and lounge on the grass nearby. Sometimes I thought he just floated towards me because of all of the peaceful emotions I was broadcasting, other times I thought he just wanted a little quiet time and it was chance that I was out when he was. Whatever the reason, I was glad he did it. It made me feel as if that was our bonding time. I had some sort of time like that with all my children…gardening seemed to be our thing._

"_I remember this one time…it was my ninety-second birthday as I recall. I had just came back from hunting with Carlisle…Jasper had tilled up a good sizeable chunk of forest behind the house and planted all different kinds of flowers, leaving behind some trees and putting in a bench near a small pond he made. It was breathtaking. He planted flowers in every shade of every color imaginable and yet somehow they were all the flowers honey bees, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and hummingbirds were attracted to._

"_He was so nervous! I remember coming within a mile of him and being struck dumb with the shear amount of emotions the man was carrying. He had worked himself up into a frenzy over whether or not I would be mad at him for tearing up my lawn. Needless to say I wasn't. It was the best birthday gift I ever received."_

"_That's beautiful," I murmured. "But now I feel bad for interrupting that time with you and gardening under your watchful eye."_

"_Don't feel bad." Esme assured me. "I'm glad you did. Now you can do that for me. Keep my flowers alive. Plant new ones." Tears flooded my eyes and I nodded._

"_I will. I promise."_

"_Tell Jasper…tell Jasper that I love him. There is so much I want to say. So much that will never be said. Tell him to remember me in our garden. And help him. My passing will not be easy on him. I know you think that he is indifferent about your presence in our life…take my word for it—he isn't. He loves you Bella and wants to know you with such a fever that I am almost jealous. Edward…Edward just won't let him." I rolled my eyes._

"_Edward is a baby sometimes." Esme sighed._

"_I know dear. I know." Esme paused. "I feel guilty about this next part…but I believe you and Jasper have the right to know._

"_A little after our absence two years ago…I did some digging. I was going crazy, both literally and figuratively. So I threw myself into learning all I could about our relatives. Perhaps Carlisle's sister had children, and their children had children, and so on and so forth. Perhaps we could find someone…help them out in life as much as possible without ever directly meeting them._

"_One late night I was looking at Jasper's family tree. The wife he had in his human years had a daughter. She went on, married, and had a daughter. That daughter had a daughter and that daughter had a daughter. So the line went on and on…until Helen Swan had a both a son and a daughter. The daughter, Elizabeth, married and gave birth to two children, Charlie, in memoriam of his uncle, her brother, and Helen, named after her mother. Helen's son, Charles Swan, has one known heir. Isabella Marie Swan." Esme pulled away slightly. "Sweetheart. You and your cousins are direct descendents of Jasper. He is your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather."_

Jasper pulled sharply away from my touch, breaking the transfer of memory.

"Hey Grandpa," I chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Here you go! Another chapter! :D The necklace idea here I got from the movie **_**The Illusionist**_** so it's NOT my idea! REVIEW PLEASE!**

**sM oWnS aLl!**

He stared at me with complete shock written all over his face. I smiled softly back at him and pulled him back to me, holding him tight.

"Thank you," he murmured, burying his face in my curls. I nodded,

"You're welcome Gramps." He chuckled, a certain tenseness still in his shoulders. "Hey," I cooed softly. "I'm here…" he tightened his hold on my waist.

"I know," he croaked.

"And so is Esme," I whispered. "She's the warmth of the sun and the wind and in every rustle of the leaves." Almost as to affirm my claim and gust of wind blew past us, stirring up leaves and pushing them upon us. "See?" I whispered, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "She's still watching over us."

Jasper sent me a shaky smile and nodded, his eyes still showing the depth of his grief. I leaned forward and planted a kiss upon his cheek, lingering for a moment. I then stood up, pulling him up with me.

"Come on," I said, lacing my fingers with his. "Let's go home." He squeezed my hand tight and nodded. Hand in hand we started walking, at a human pace, in the general direction of the house.

"I can't believe it," Jasper murmured.

"What? That we are related? Is it that farfetched?" I teased, bumping my shoulder against his.

"No," he admitted, returning the nudge. "I just never thought that I would have living relatives. When I was changed…all I could think about was getting back to Eliza and my daughter. I wanted to be able to watch over them—guard them from a distance if you will." He sighed.

"What is it?" I asked softly,

"Maria. She found out my desire for my family…I was beginning to slack off, consumed with the thoughts of them. One night she disappeared…the next morning she returned and told me that she found my wife. That she found my child." I gasped,

"She told you she killed them?" I questioned in horror.

"No…but she gave me this," he reached into the top of his shirt and pulled out a necklace fastened around his neck. Made out of some sort of light brown rope, the necklace was intricately knotted and had wooden beads evenly tied in place. It was obviously ancient, the rope severely frayed throughout the necklace. He moved his hand I gasped, stopping dead in my tracks.

In the center of the necklace was a wooden heart, possibly made from of a medium colored chestnut tree. I reached up and felt the wood with my fingers—it was as smooth as silk.

"Did you make this?" I whispered hoarsely. He nodded,

"For Eliza. It was my wedding gift to her." He lifted his hands up and gently pushed mine away, then he delicately twisted the necklace to the side and the heart opened, revealing a black and white photo of a woman, not unlike the one I saw in Jasper's memory, and Jasper as a human. "She never took it off…so when Maria gave it to me I believed her to be dead."

With shaking hands I reached into my own shirt and pulled the same necklace—except instead of a heart it was in the shape of an oval. Mine too was frayed in multiple spots, the rope old in both age and use. I twisted the oval in half and it changed into a heart. I then turned it to the side and opened the locket. Inside was a picture of Jasper in his human years.

"Where did you…" Jasper asked in wonder, closing his locket back to the oval position, and fingering mine.

"It's a family heirloom." I told him, "The story goes that Jasper Whitlock made two necklaces like this—one for his wife and one for his daughter. He put a picture of himself in the one for his daughter so she would always remember what he looked like when he went off to fight in the war. His wife woke up one morning and the locket was missing. She searched everywhere for it, but it had disappeared. The remaining locket was stored in the floorboards of their house along with his letters home and photos of the family. When his daughter, Helen, turned sixteen she was given her locket. She had seen it before but was never allowed to wear it. Once it was on her she didn't take it off until she gave it to _her_ daughter when she was sixteen.

"The necklace passed down the family tree like this, mother to daughter until Grandma Swan broke tradition and did _not_ give it to her daughter. Instead, she held onto it until her deathbed where she gave it to Charlie to hold onto until my sixteenth birthday. I haven't taken it off once. I also received your personal effects…the letters…the pictures…everything."

"You knew," Jasper accused, gazing into my eyes. I shot him a guilty look,

"I did…I saw the picture when I was little…when I saw you for the first time I instantly recognized you." He gently closed the locket and tucked it back under my shirt.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he murmured.

"I wanted to…every time I came over to the house I promised myself that I would tell you…then I chickened out when I saw you. You kept your distance so much; I almost felt that you didn't like me or something. I didn't want you to feel obligated to like me just because I was related to you." I admitted softly.

"Oh sweetheart," he whispered, wrapping his arms around my middle and pulling me tight to him. "I never felt that way. Never." I returned the embrace and buried my face in his shoulder, fastening my arms around his neck. I smiled as I compared our heights, he was only an inch or two taller than me and it felt completely natural to be in his arms. "I kept my distance because I didn't want to hurt you…but I always had a longing in me to get to know you."

"Really?" I asked, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"Really." He affirmed. He tilted his head to the side and kissed my temple. I squeezed him tight, and then pulled away, lacing my fingers with his again. We set off once more in the direction of the house.

"So tell me about your cousins." Jasper nearly begged. "I want to know all about them." I smiled and leaned against his arm as we walked,

"Charlie is three years old. He has your blonde curls and bright green eyes. When he smiles he gets the cutest dimples in his cheek that ever existed. He recently discovered Spider-Man…now every article of clothing he possess has something related to Spider-Man on it. It's adorable!" Jasper chuckled,

"I bet it is! And what about the girl?" I smiled faintly, memories being pressed upon me,

"Her name is Helen. She turned one a week before…" my grin faltered. "A week before Victoria." Jasper squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Go on," he encouraged gently. I took a deep breath and continued,

"She also has your blonde hair and brown eyes like mine. The last time I saw her she was taking her first unsteady steps, but only if she could hold onto your fingers for support. She doesn't really speak in discernable words, but she has lots to say if you just listen to her baby talk."

"Where do they live?" Jasper asked,

"Arizona. They lived in an apartment building a few miles down the road from our house. Charlie and Helen were constantly over at my house, it was actually an oddity for them not to have dinner every night with me." He chuckled,

"So you and your aunt are close then?" I frowned.

"No we are not. My aunt…my aunt would be better off _not_ being a mother." I felt Jasper stiffen slightly beside me,

"Why do you say that?" he asked, his voice hardening.

"She's like Renee…she constantly wants to party and have fun on the town. Not really concerned with being a mother—more with having the time of her life. So I stepped up like I did for Renee. I took them to day care before school and picked them up after. I was the one who nursed Helen when she got colic. Charlie ran to me instead of his mother when he got hurt. On the nights when Elizabeth was out parting I put Helen in the crib that was in my room and Charlie slept with me." I sighed,

"I begged Elizabeth to let me take Helen and Charlie with me when I moved up here. I told her that I would take full responsibility for them and that Charlie would love to have his niece and nephew stay with him. She refused, saying that she could never part with her children. I couldn't just kidnap them, and her newest boyfriend appeared to be a generally nice guy…"

"The father?" Jasper asked.

"Charlie's father was Elizabeth's high school sweetheart. They married young, right out of high school, and lived together throughout college and a few years after. They got a divorce when Elizabeth gave birth to Charlie. Helen's father was a man Elizabeth met in a bar. Only a one night stand. We don't even know his name." Jasper nodded stiffly.

"I see." With my free hand I patted my back pocket,

"Alice didn't change me?" I asked, pulling out my wallet. "During my change I mean." Jasper shrugged,

"We were too busy with our own grief over Esme…and almost all of us thought that we arrived too late."

"Almost all of you?" I repeated slowly, "Who didn't?"

"Carlisle…he stubbornly refused that he was too late. He sat next to your bedside the entire time. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He didn't even breathe. For him…everything rested on you. If you didn't wake up…I shudder to think what would have happened. I honestly don't think he would've made it. Even now…" I shuddered.

"He'll be fine." I promised. "He'll be fine." There was silence for a few minutes then I opened my wallet and pulled out a picture,

"This is us." I said, handing it to him. I looked at in fondness as he took it.

The picture was taken the beginning of the summer I left. Charlie was on my back, his arms around my neck, looking straight into the camera, his mouth wide open and dimples showing as he laughed. I was hunched over, making it easier for Charlie to stay on my back. One hand was reaching back to curl around his leg, steadying him. The other was holding Helen to my chest. Upside down, Helen was staring directly into the camera, one hand fisted into my hair, the other stretching out towards the camera. She was giggling, her eyes shining in laughter.

"This is beautiful," Jasper whispered, tracing the outline of Charlie's face.

"It's my favorite picture of us," I agreed. "You can keep it, I have another one," I pulled it out of my wallet, showed it to him, and tucked it away.

"Bella," Jasper said, carefully putting the picture into his pocket. "Be gentle with him." I looked at Jasper in confusion and he stopped. "Carlisle is back at the house…we cleared it. We all need to hunt…and we agree that you need to do this alone. Be gentle with him. He's not in the best state of mind right now…he won't be the Carlisle you know." I took a deep breath and nodded. "Do not worry though, Carlisle will not be able to hurt you." I rolled my eyes,

"I know he can't." Jasper gazed steadily at me.

"I mean it. Be careful with him. He can break at any moment." My brow furrowed and I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but before I could get the words out he kissed my cheek, squeezed my hand and left, disappearing as a gust of wind crashed throughout the forest.

_Good luck_. His thoughts whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N ~ Here you go! It's been a while…sorry about that! R&R! :)**

**Sm OwNs AlL!**

I stepped through the door and closed it, the wood hitting the frame with a dull thud. In reply I received silence. I took a few steps forward and gasped.

The living room was in shambles. Where the once beautiful window wall lay was now in shatters, having two marble figures thrown through its depths. The sofa too appeared to have made its departure through an adjoining wall. The wallpaper was torn and scattered all over the floor, the grand piano was in pieces at my feet, and a gaping hole resembled what used to be a collage of photos taken by Rosalie.

"Carlisle?" I whispered, going further into the house. My eyes drifted over to the remains of the sliding glass door and I sighed as I found what I was searching for.

His shirt was in tatters, the material literally hanging off of him in scraps. The golden locks of hair I so adored was in complete disarray, as if Carlisle had been running his hands through them frantically. He was completely frozen, his arms around his middle as he gazed off across the lawn.

"Carlisle?" I whispered, ever more quiet. There was no response. I took a causious step forward, my senses on high alert, something in the back of my new vampire mind telling me that the still figure in front of me was a threat.

My movement seemed to have triggered something in him, for his head shot up and his eyes wildly surveyed the room, searching for something.

Or someone.

He looked right past me, as if I wasn't even there. When he didn't find what he was seeking, his hands flew up to his hair. His fingers ran through the silky blonde locks then fisted together at the ends, proceeding to tug sharply. It was then that I realized that he was muttering under his breath.

"Why? Was it something I did? She ran away from me. Why? Where did she go? Why did she go? Bella…" he groaned. "Bella. Why? Bella. Where. Are. You. Please. Bella. Sweetheart. Please…come back. I'll be good! Baby. Please come back to me! I need you! Bella…I…I…" he broke off, sobs shaking his frame.

Carlisle clutched his middle, bending over as if here was a great pain in his stomach. "Bella…" he gasped. I opened my mouth to call out to him, but he jerked back into a standing position, his eyes wild.

"Bella!" he called out frantically. He ran across the room, lifted the rug in front of the fireplace, and threw it across the room. When he didn't find me underneath, he cursed softly and proceeded to destroy the remainder of the living room.

"No!" he screamed, punching a hole through the wall when his attempts to locate me proved futile. "Bella. Sweetheart. _Please_. Come back!"

"Carlisle?" I whispered, stepping directly in front of him. He didn't even notice my presence.

"Bella," Carlisle whispered hoarsely. "Bella. _Please_! I'll do anything! Please…just…come back. Come back to me. Bella. Baby. Sweetheart. Where are you? Where did you go? Bella! Please…I…I need you. DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"Carlisle!" I said loudly. "It's me. It's Bella."

He froze.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N ~ Another one!**

**Sm OwNs AlL**

"Carlisle?" I asked quietly. I received no response so I called his name again. "Carlisle?" No response. Again. I waved my hand in front of his face and he eyes followed the movement of my hand, and then flittered over to mine. They were pitch black.

"How long has it been since you've hunted?" I asked myself. Knowing Carlisle it was the hunting trip _before _Victoria's attack. After Esme and I were kidnapped he would have given all his time to finding us—even if that meant starving himself. "Carlisle?" He blinked and looked at me quizzically, not uttering a sound. "We are going to go on a little trip now, is that alright?" He just stared at me, his eyes now wide and trusting.

_Isabella_. His thoughts called out to me. I fought off a grin and led the way to the gaping hole in the wall. Just as I was stepping out I heard a sharp intake of breath. I turned around to see Carlisle standing rigid, panic pushing away from him in waves. _Are you leaving me?_ His thoughts whispered to me in a strained voice. He sounded different then his usual voice, more innocent.

_No_. I thought, pushing the thought to him. His pupils constricted and his nostrils flared, showing me that he heard my thought. I went to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on the tips of my toes to do so. His arms came up and encircled the middle of my back, holding me gently in his arms. _I am not leaving you Carlisle._ He sighed, in what seemed to be relief, and buried his face in my hair, inhaling my scent.

We stood there, not saying anything, not thinking anything; focusing only on the feel of the other; matching our breathing so when he inhaled, I inhaled. When I exhaled, he exhaled. Carlisle and I were in perfect sync, complimenting each other in every way possible. I hesitantly began teasing the back of his neck, playing with the hair silently, methodically. In the same instant, he started stroking my back; shivers racing down at each brush of his fingertips.

Then I felt something bubble in my chest. It enclosed my still heart and squeezed, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Whatever this sensation was, it wanted out. My eyes widened as the bubble grew upwards to my collarbones and I was stunned as the bubble-like thing started _vibrating_. It enclosed my neck and I felt slightly panicked as the flow of oxygen to my lungs stopped completely.

It was as if something was _in_ my chest and pushing its way out of my body. I fought against the sensation and pushed the bubble downwards. Instead of disappearing as I hoped, it simply grew. It now enclosed my stomach, chest, and neck, the vibration literally shaking my body.

I was now fully panicking now. I was frozen in Carlisle's arms, inwardly fighting against this unknown sensation in my body. It grew in pressure and it felt as if the bubble would explode if it was not let out. I squeezed my eyes shut and balled my hands into fists, my body rigid.

_Hey_. A voice echoed in my head from a far distance. The voice was soothing, even as an echo and the bubble increased its ferocity at the sound. It grew to encircle my hips. I clenched my jaw, fighting the bubble. Carlisle moved, but my inhuman strength on his neck prevented him from moving too far. He released his hold on my back and placed his hands on my arms, stroking them soothingly.

At his contact, the bubble expanded to my arms, literally _pulsing_ where his skin met mine. _Isabella._ The voice echoed. Again the sensation seemed to jump at the sound of his voice. Panic swelled in my chest underneath the unknown bubble. I didn't like this. I didn't like it at all. I wanted this thing _gone_.

_Isabella._ The voice repeated. I felt the pressure of his hands soothingly stroking my shoulders, up my arms, around my wrists, and enclosed my hands in his. He squeezed gently and traced his way back to my shoulder and repeated the movement. _Isabella. Listen to me. Stop fighting it._

Stop fighting it? No. I couldn't do that. The sensation flooded down my legs, over my knees, and straight down to my toes, the vibration flooding every inch of my body, making it appear as if I was having a fit.

Carlisle's hands stopped their ministrations and cupped my cheeks in his large hands, tilting my face upwards. His thumbs lightly danced across the concaves of my skin, the movement both soothing and painful as the bubble forced its way up my neck and face; pulsing particularly hard where his hands were.

_Isabella. You have to listen to me. Stop fighting it. This is completely natural._ Completely natural? Was he serious? How was this bubble _natural_? It felt anything but natural! _Come on sweetheart. Focus on my voice. Let your body take over and do what it must_. I felt my resolve slip as I listened to the soothing melody of his voice. For a fraction of a second I stopped fighting the bubble and a loud sound boomed out of me.

Fear flooded my body as soon as I heard it and I resumed my battle against the sensation._ Isabella._ Carlisle chuckled in my head. _No need to be afraid. Come on. Stop fighting._

_I…I…_ I stuttered. _I'm scared._ Carlisle's hold on me tightened and he stepped closer so we were touching all the way down to our feet.

_You don't have to be scared sweetheart. I'm here._ The bubble expanded and seemed to surround Carlisle as well. When his hands started vibrating as well I knew it to be true—the sensation was happening to Carlisle as well. _See? I'm doing it too. All you have to do now is stop fighting it._

_How_? I asked quietly.

_Just let it go_. He said simply. I attempted to let it flood over me, but it didn't do anything or go anywhere.

_I can't! _ I screamed. _It's stuck! Ohmygod. It's stuck. I'm going to die. This bubble is going to eat me and I'm going to die!_

_Isabella_. Carlisle said softly. _You are already dead. _I sent him the mental picture of me sticking my tongue out at him, to which he chuckled. _Alright, open your eyes sweetheart. _I felt him bend down to rest his forehead against mine. _Open your eyes._

Slowly, I did as he asked. The instant my eyes met his all the tension left my body and the roar of sound bursted out of my chest in a contented…

_Purr? That's what that is? I'm purring?_


	7. I'm Back!

Hey everyone! It's been FOREVER! But I'm back! A new Chapeter will be posted by tonight/tomorrow.


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